1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to accessories for sporting and boating, and particularly to a kayaking harness for supporting the back of the kayaker on extended kayaking trips such as expeditions and touring.
2. Description of the Related Art
Kayaking is a popular boating sport throughout the world Although kayaks may be broadly classified as touring kayaks (designed for stability and boating on extended bodies of water such as lakes, seas, etc.) or as whitewater kayaks (designed for maneuverability and boating on rivers, streams, etc.), the kayak enthusiast may have occasion to spend hours at a time in the cockpit of his craft while engaged in touring on extended trips over large bodies of water, or in whitewater expeditions on long and winding rivers.
On such occasions, the kayaker's back may tend to become tired or sore. The back rest in the cockpit of a conventional kayak is extremely short, extending no further than the small of the back. Consequently, kayakers must rely upon their back muscles to maintain an erect sitting posture while holding and using a twin blade paddle to stroke on both sides of the kayak. After several hours of sitting in essentially the same posture with no support for the middle and upper back, the kayaker's back muscles can become exhausted and weaken.
The present invention is a back harness especially designed for use with kayaks which allows the kayaker to lean back and support the weight of his upper torso with the harness, relieving tension in the back muscles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,743, issued Nov. 9, 1976 to H. W. Nelson, describes a back support for canoes having a rigid seat. However, this device is not a harness, but an elongated back support supported by a strut attached to the front end of the seat and a brace under the seat. The device is not suited to use in a kayak, as the support would interfere with the nylon or tubular neoprene spray skirts used to protect the cockpit from water.
U.S. Des. Pat. No. 290,293, issued Jun. 9, 1987 to W. D. Hambley, shows what appears to be a loop which may be fitted around the torso having a semicircle of fabric attached to a semicircle of rigid tubing. Three parallel springs extend from the tubing, and are attached at their free end to a small rod having a hook.
The drawings in Norwegian patent No. 79436, published Nov. 26, 1951, appear to show a harness which appears to be a single piece of elongated webbing having its ends joined behind the waist and looping through a ring in front of the waist three times in order to wind around the waist, the ribs, and the shoulders, criss crossing in the back posterior to the chest. A ring encircles the webbing on either side of the waist, straps being attached to the ring for connection to another apparatus.
The drawings in Danish patent 72350, published Apr. 2, 1951 show a band having a buckle fastening its ends to form a loop for encircling the torso. A pair of shoulder straps, which do not appear to be adjustable in length, criss cross at the back of the loop and are fixedly attached to the band. A pair of loops encircled by rings are attached to the back of the band. Snap hooks attach two smaller loops to the rings.
Additional harnesses and safety belts adapted for other applications include: U.S. Pat. No. 293,799, issued Feb. 19, 1884 to G. B. Simkin (safety belt for window washers and painters); U.S. Pat. No. 604,677, issued May 24, 1898 to W. C. Humphrey (brace and back support for bicyclist); U.S. Pat. No. 638,861, issued Dec. 12, 1899 to L. C. Bean (harness for bicyclist); U.S. Pat. No. 2,441,115, issued May 4, 1948 to W. Lambert (shoulder harness supporting a pail, used by fruit and vegetable pickers); U.S. Pat. No. 3,125,375, issued Mar. 17, 1964 to G. L. Bird, et al. (safety harness for a child seated on car seat); U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,239, issued Jun. 1, 1993 to P. A. Walters, Jr. (harness for supporting a musical instrument, such a a saxophone); U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,363, issued Aug. 13, 1996 to McCue, et al. (vest and harness for ambulance attendants); and U.K. Patent No. 969,687, published Jun 8, 1962 (harness with a seat sling for supporting workers at a height above ground level).
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a kayaking harness solving the aforementioned problems is desired.